As he felt himself fall, several scenes flashed before him; his days of residency in the U.S., night duties, struggles, his three sons and his wife, his appointment letter as a Professor of Cardiology, his return to his homeland for voluntary service at the local hospital and then that flash of the gun.
A voice spoke to him in his head, “You came to open their hearts, but you couldn’t open their minds.”
Now he stood near an archway and he faced the light and as far as he could see there was beauty and tranquillity.
A U.S. cardiologist was shot dead in a targeted killing in Pakistan on 26th May, 2014. He belonged to a minority sect that has long been persecuted in the country.
For details of Friday Fictioneers see the link: http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/30-may-2014/
This depicts reality so well.
Thanks for the visit.
Reading incidents like these invariably lowers my head in shame…May Allah open our hearts and minds both…
Ameen. And may his soul rest in peace.
oh wow this hits right to heart, the reflection many of us feel and what a story it tells too.
It’s so sad, Andy, I was devastated when I heard this news.
😦
Really well done – and tragic
Yes I have still not recovered after hearing this news.
Thanks for reading.
Such a terrible waste of a human being. Tragic.
It really is. How many more lives he could have saved in his career that was so brutally cut short?
Thanks for taking time to read this.
Sad. Very tragic. “Couldn’t open their minds.” Very touching.
Well-done, Zainab!
By the way, I love the quote — “a baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.” One of America’s best poet/writers, Carl Sandberg, wrote that. I remember it from college because we did a reader’s theater on his works. A good memory for me.
Your son looks like a good kid! Tell him he can have all the green beans he wants! 😉
Thank you Kent! Yes it’s a great quote, I think it should extend to children as well, even though they can be naughty little devils at times, as long as they are around there is some good in this world.
My son is one of those naughty little devils but he makes amends before going to sleep when he tells me he loves me very much. 🙂
Cute! All the best!
I agree with Kent! Your son as soulful eyes and if he weren’t a naughty little devil he wouldn’t be a kid!
So true! 🙂
“You came to open their hearts, but you couldn’t open their minds.” Sad but true.
Thank you Dawn for visiting and commenting.
“and he faced the light” This makes me think of the light of knowledge that was lost. Nicely done.
Thank you Alicia!
A topical and tragic piece. I love your vision of the afterlife though – a beautiful take on the prompt.
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and commenting. Much appreciated.
Zainab, Sad story of a terrible injustice. People who commit those crimes against humanity have minds that are in the Dark Ages of the world. They’ll probably never join us in the 21st Century. Well written. —Susan
Thank you Susan. Have heard no condemnation from our political leaders over this tragedy. Makes it even more tragic.
Once again, you’ve taken a true story and given it three dimensions and the full range of emotions. Neat.
Thank you for your kind comment.
So sad adding the devotion and sacrifices to a story like that — makes it stand out from the newspapers…
Hi Bjorn,
Dr Mehdi came home to work in the local hospital as he wanted to serve humanity. In return he was shot 10 to 11 times in front of his wife and 2 year old son. No police case has been filed as yet.
Dear Zainab,
A tragic reward for a true humanitarian. .Wonderfully constructed story. I’m sad that it’s true.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you Rochelle. The patriots keep coming back to serve their homeland even at the expense of their lives, people like me just stay away. 😦
Lovely, sad story. Thank you.
Thank you for reading.
Sigh…
I know… 😦
😦
Sad story. Touches the heart.
Wish the innocent never got killed…
Yes, it’s such a loss of a talented doctor who did nothing but serve humanity all his life.
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Congrats! I have awarded you with the Most Influential Blogger award! Recycling it is optional, but the award is yours! Please visit me to receive your award at:
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Thank you so much Aisha! And congratulations!